School districts and charter schools in Delaware receive help to support homeless students

Grants supporting students experiencing homelessness go to 14 school districts or charter schools in Delaware.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act grants main goal is to remove any educational barriers for students experiencing homelessness.

The grants facilitate enrollment, attendance and success in school for students who are homeless meaning they lack a fixed, adequate and regular nighttime residence.

Ruth Uhey is educational associate for out of school programs and students experiencing homelessness in the Dept. of Education. She says the grants were open to Delaware public schools to provide temporary, special and supplementary services to meet the needs of homeless students.

“Some of the uses are providing tutoring providing school supplies assisting with enrollment barriers such as obtaining records, such as birth certificates, immunizations, health records, school records, also referral services for students for medical dental mental or health or other health services which could also include like maybe if the student needed eyeglasses or something,” said Uhey.

Other uses include staff training, short-term/temporary housing, food, clothing and transportation. There are 16 uses in all according to Uhey.

There’s no criteria for the number of homeless students they work with during the school year.

But Uhey explains districts and charters must provide some information when applying.

“In the application process they do identify the number of students experiencing homelessness who are enrolled in the LEA, and they describe their homeless education needs that are unique to their school service area, such as barriers to enrollment, attendance, school success, etc. and their ability to meet those needs.”

In the 21-22 school year, the last posted year federally, Delaware has 3,434 students experiencing homelessness.

Grant awardees are:

• Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School ($30,000)
• Appoquinimink School District ($30,000)
• Brandywine School District ($30,000)
• Caesar Rodney School District ($30,000)
• Cape Henlopen School District ($20,872)
• Capital School District ($30,000)
• Christina School District ($30,000)
• Indian River School District ($30,000)
• Milford School District ($15,000)
• New Castle County Vocational Technical ($26,000)
• Seaford School District ($30,000)
• Smyrna School District ($30,000)
• Sussex Montessori Charter School ($30,000)
• Woodbridge School District ($30,000)